You don't actually need hops to make beer, it's just what people are used to when they think modern beer. Also, I don't really see why rice would thin it more than malt or hops, I'd imagine it would just sweeten it a bit. And that still depends on the rice.
Anyway, we got kind of off in the weeds here anyway, and I certainly wasn't trying to defend Budweiser or anything of the sort. It's weak shit, I was just curious about the minutia involved.
I imagine you could make a pretty serious rice beer, actually. If I liked beer, and had the equipment, I'd whip that up, as I'm curious now.
You don't actually need hops to make beer, it's just what people are used to when they think modern beer. Also, I don't really see why rice would thin it more than malt or hops, I'd imagine it would just sweeten it a bit. And that still depends on the rice.
Anyway, we got kind of off in the weeds here anyway, and I certainly wasn't trying to defend Budweiser or anything of the sort. It's weak shit, I was just curious about the minutia involved.
I imagine you could make a pretty serious rice beer, actually. If I liked beer, and had the equipment, I'd whip that up, as I'm curious now.
Some people like Japanese beers like Kirin or Sapporo (I assume they're rice beers).
Legally to call a product beer it requires a minimum percentage of hops in the USA.
In some European countries they even force them to only use certain ingredients to be allowed to sell it as beer.
I used to be head of sales for a major brewery and it gets pretty weird how some macros cut corners.
Oh, that's pretty cool.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/697/4770/
I forgot to tell you when you mentioned rice beer this one is legit, Hitochino does a few.
Nice.